BIO-key Surpasses $2M of Military/Defense Sales over Last 12 months with Follow-on Order From Foreign Defense Ministry; Geopolitical Tensions Raise Stakes for Securing Intelligence Against Cyber Threats

HOLMDEL, N.J., March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIO-key^® International, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKYI), a provider of biometric-centric Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, today announced that the cyber-defense unit of a foreign defense ministry placed a $280,000 in new order to expand its deployment of BIO-key's biometric user authentication to additional personnel. The order brings total business booked from this customer in the past 12 months to $1.14M with additional orders expected. Across the broader military and defense sector BIO-key has secured over $2M in total orders over the last 12 months, representing a substantial increase over the year-ago period.

Rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, have increased demand for hardened authentication across foreign defense and intelligence agencies. BIO-key's biometric authentication platform delivers strong, easy-to-use multi-factor authentication and identification. Unlike possession-based tokens and phone-based factors, BIO-key's "who-you-are" approach effectively eliminates the risk of credential sharing and phishing and can authenticate users without requiring assigning them a separate device.

BIO-key supports phoneless, tokenless authentication for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) areas—environments common in defense and intelligence operations—where phones, tokens, and other removable devices can be impractical or prohibited. At this customer, BIO-key now supports authentication for more than 50,000 licensed users, providing continuous availability and detailed auditability as the ministry expands to additional personnel. BIO-key's platform is designed to scale to millions of users across large enterprises and government agencies. Because biometric credentials are inherent to the individual, secure access to highly sensitive systems cannot be easily shared, delegated, phished, or forgotten—critical factors amid increasing cyberthreats and phishing attacks.

"This ministry is among the most discriminating buyers of cybersecurity technologies in the world and a customer since 2017," said Jim Sullivan, SVP of Strategy and Chief Legal Officer, BIO-key. "We are proud to have earned their trust by delivering the highest levels of security, usability, and ease of deployment for nearly a decade. Our certifications — including NIST, FBI FAP and FIPS 201 — provide our defense customers a reliable, standards-compliant security experience that meets the rigorous requirements of military and intelligence environments."

"BIO-key continues to expand its presence with military and defense ministries that require reliable biometric solutions to protect critical national intelligence and other highly sensitive, eyes-only information," said Michael DePasquale, Chairman and CEO. "In mid-2025, we launched BIO-key's Defense & Intelligence Cybersecurity Initiative, a targeted sales program focused on delivering hardened biometric authentication and IAM solutions to military and intelligence customers. The initiative has already helped harden the security posture of several new defense agency customers. Today, we serve military, defense, and other government agencies in multiple countries, including in Europe and the Middle East. Given rising global hostilities and the likely increase in cyberattacks, we anticipate continued interest and growth in our Defense & Intelligence Cybersecurity Initiative."

About BIO-key International, Inc. (www.BIO-key.com)

BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless, and passwordless biometric options. Its cloud-hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.

Engage with BIO-key:

Investor Contacts:

William Jones, David Collins

Catalyst IR

[email protected] or 212-924-9800